I've had contact lenses for over 20 years and I can remember distinctly the first time I placed them in my eyes and how frustrating that process was. It got to the point where I threw a full tantrum when I couldn't get the contact lens to adhere to my eye.

Now it is second nature and I can do it in a car, in an elevator, or wherever I might be when one happens to fall out. I have even moistened a lens with tap water and even with saliva. It is easy to forget that your eye is a special tissue that is not nearly as resilient as one's skin and is a rather simple place for a microbe to flourish, especially when aided by prosthetic material (i.e., a contact lens) let alone poor hygiene.

None of this is good, especially not for an infectious disease physician. So, it comes as no surprise that I am not alone amongst contact lens users. Like my fellow dirty eye people, I have had numerous episodes of conjunctivitis and have had to take antibiotic eye drops and steroids several times--sometimes self-prescribed or prescribed by mom or dad.

Thankfully my game of Russian Roulette with my contact lenses hasn't resulted in corneal ulcerations or a severe amoebic infection...yet.